John o beien



JQOBRIBN.

CAR GOUPLING.

Patented June 30, 1885.

JU VV u (No Model.)

ATTORNEYS.

WITNBSSES :A

NITED STATES ATEN'I much.

JOHN OIBRIEN, or AUSTIN, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR To I-Ii-MSnIgr AND FAY n. SMITH, or SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,955, dated June 30. 1835.

Application filed October 5, 1884.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OIIN OBRIEN, of Austin, in the county of Mower and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a full,

cl ar, and eXact description.

The objects of my invention are to prevent injury to train-men While coupling cars. and to facilitate the coupling of cars having draw- Io heads of unequal heights.

The invention consists in theconstruction and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to behad to the accompanying I 5 drawings, forming part of this specification, in

which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is -alongitudinal sectional elevation of Inyimproved coupling as applied to a car.

2o Fig. 2 is a plan view, and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation,of the draw-head, taken on the line a: x, Fig. 1, and looking upward.

'Ihe letter A indicates the draw-head of my improved coupling, which is formed with the link-socket B, back of which lugs a a of the draw-head project toward each other to form a stop for the end of the link.

The draw-head A is made hollow and connects at its back end by a bolt, C, with the 3oA draw-bar D, which contains the buffer-spring or springs E, of any approved construction and arrangement, to receive the shocks in coupling the cars as they come together.

A strong strap or keeper, F,extends beneath 3 5 the draw-head 'A to hold it up to place at the front of the car. The draw-head has a vertical hole at g, to receive the coupling-pin G, which holds the link H so that it may pass into the draw-head of an opposing car (not 4o shown) to effect the coupling.

I is a shaftnvhich is journaled horizontally in the draw-head at the top of the link-socket, and has fixed to it the link-lifting plate J which curves around behind the couplingpin. In other words, the coupling-pin passes through the drawl1ead in front of the rear part, j, ofthe plate J, so that said part j comes directly over the end of the link H,held in the draw-head by the pin, and so that when the 5o shaft I is turned to lower the plate J its part j or its side parts, j', will press downward on (No model.)

the inner end, h, ot' the link H; and lift the outer end, h, of the link to enter an opposite higher draw-head. as will be understood from the full lines in Fig. l.

A spring, K, shown made of a single piece of elastic wire, having its side arms, lo 7c, coiled loosely around the shaftl I and bearing by their extreme ends beneath or in the plate J at each side, vholds the plate up to its normal 6o position, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1,) in which position the link H will hang inclining downward toward the outer end to enter the link-socket of an opposite lower draw-head for coupling on another car.

To theshaft I are fixed a couple ot' arms or levers, L, which pass upward through slots M made through the top wall of the link-socket, so that the levers may easily be reached by the hand from between the cars, or by a rod held 7o in the hand from either side ofthe car, to swing the plate J downward, more or less, as may be required in coupling on cars having drawheads ot' any height.

The door of the link-socketBis formed with a rounded projection, b, and also may have a depression, b, so that the link H may freely and easily be rocked on the projection b by the plate J for raising the outer end of the link to any required height for coupling.

The spring for holding the plate J up to place may have any suitable form or arrangement to serve the purpose.

If desired, the shaft I may be extended to one or both sides of the car to receive a lever or suitable handle on one or both ends for adjusting the link H from either side ot' the car, as will readily be understood.

By the use of my improved coupling cars having draw-heads of various heights may be 93 coupled without requiring the train-men to stand between the carsaud expose themselves to injury, and the ordinary link-and-pin'devices are used. The coupling also iS cheap,

effective, and not liable to get out of order by 95 any severe shocks of use.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a pivoted 1everoperated plate within a draw-head for elevating the coupling-link to engage draw-heads of different heights; and I 10o do not claim such, broadly, as of my invention. These plates have been in most cases pivoted in rear of the coupling-pin, so that when the cars bumped together the couplinglink was liable to be forced against said plates and break them. In one instance an upper and lower plate were used, the free edges of said plates extending toward the front of the draw-head. In this case should the upper plate hang downward and the lower plate incline upward accidentally the entering couplinglink would strike one or both of them and break them off. By pivoting the plate to the top of the draw-head recess in front of the coupling-pin, and arranging the free end of the plate toward the rear ofthe draw-head, the coupling-link cannot possibly injure it, as, even if thespring should from any cause fail io keep it elevated, the link would elevate it without injury.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, in a car-coupling, and with the diavhead A, pin G, and link H, of a shaft, I, journaled in the top part of the draw-head in front of the coupling-pin, and

carrying a plate, J, the free edge of which projects tow ard the rear of the draw`head,adapted to lift the outer end of the link when the shaft is turned, sulistantially as shown and de scribed.

2. The combination, in a carvcoupling, and

-with the draw-head A, having a projection,b,

on the door of its link-socket, and the pin G and link H, of the plate J, iixed to a shaft, 1, journaled in front of the pin G, and the free edge ofsaid plate J extending behind the pin, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a car-coupling, and with the draw-head A, pin G, link H, and plate J ,xed to ashaft, I, journaled in the top of the draw-head in front ofthe coupling-pin, the free edge of the plate extending in rear of said pin, as specified, of a spring acting to swing. and hold the plate J upward, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, in a cancoupling, and with the draw-head A, pin G, link H, and plate J, the free edge of which extends in rear 'of the coupling-pin, said plate being held to a shaft, I, journaled in the top of the drawhead in front of the coupling-pin, as specied,

of the arms orlevers L, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN OBRIEN.

Witnesses WV. T. WILKINs, L. O. HoLLIsTER. 

